1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to litter box assemblies and particularly to litter box assemblies having a litter fragmenting device.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous animal litter boxes and animal litter box assemblies are known in the art, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,088 entitled “Pet Litter Box Assembly”, U.S. Pat. No. 7,290,499 entitled “Self-cleaning Pet Litter Box Assembly”, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,293,837 entitled “Litter Box Having Shelf Formed in Side Wall Thereof Supporting Fine and Coarse Grid Assembly.” These and other known litter boxes and animal litter box assemblies function for their intended purpose but none of the known litter boxes and animal litter box assemblies have an integral litter fragmenting device that permits a user to make fragmented litter at the point of use or to make animal litter with improved properties.
Animal waste management products such as animal litter are commonly used to collect and process animal waste, e.g., the waste of a pet such as a cat. The litter is poured into a litter box or tray and collects the animal's waste products. However, conventional litter boxes and animal litter contained in the litter box can be problematic for the user. For example, the animal litter may not be suitable for absorbing large amounts of urine. In addition, the animal litter may not typically absorb any substantial portion of the obnoxious odors produced by animal excrement. These odors caused by excessive waste can escape into the surrounding area and become an annoyance to the user and others. Additionally, the aggregate size of the litter used in the box may not be appealing to the pet. Cats in general for example prefer smaller aggregate pieces as elimination substrates.
Animal litter comprises particulates that can be scattered when poured into the litter box. The used litter can be dusty and have a high bulk density leading to difficult cleaning once the litter needs to be changed. Consequently, to keep the litter boxes in a sanitary condition and minimize obnoxious odors emanating therefrom, the absorbent litter must be changed regularly. This involves periodically disposing of soiled litter and replacing it with unsoiled litter, which involves unpleasantly close contact with litter soiled by animal wastes.
Animal litters having superior or improved absorption capacity can decrease the frequency of cleanings while still absorbing large amounts of animal waste, e.g., urine. However, these animal litters are usually more costly. An alternative is to provide a litter box that can modify and improve the absorption capacity of animal litter at the point of use, e.g., a pet owner's home. Additionally, this size modification can enhance the pet appeal for the litter substrate. There is, therefore, a need for litter box assemblies capable of producing animal litter at the point of use, particularly animal litters having improved properties such as absorption capabilities and pet appeal.